Cultural Interpretations of Euphemisms in Doctor–Patient Communication: A Comparative Study of English and Uzbek Languages.

This study reveals cross-cultural features of euphemistic language used in doctor-patient interactions in the English and the Uzbek language.  Euphemisms are considered as a vital element in medical communication, which softens psychological and emotional weight of the delivery of disease-related news. There are several differences in English and Uzbek culture in terms of attitude towards illness, death, and sharing medical diagnoses in both languages. In English medical communication, being direct and polite together with emotional sensitivity, Uzbek communication is mainly focuses on indirectness and social respect. Therefore, cultural norms, religious beliefs, and socially established expectations have a great impact on medical euphemisms.